The quiet ones
by Sataria
Summary: You know what they say. . .It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for. You never know what they'll do. This is Electra's story. Is Growltiger real? Or just a story? Electra will come to find out more about him, and herself, than she ever thought possible. Rating might change.
1. Chapter 1

**The beginning of Electra's story! Enjoy!**

Prologue

Alonzo was an eight year old black and white patched tom. He and his older brother, a black and leopard spotted tom, Muggerstone, were walking back to their Junkyard home one night after running an errand for their mother. Their adopted sister, Victoria and their mother Jellyorum were waiting for them. Muggerstone was a fast walker and easily left his brother behind, as usual. Alonzo knew his way to the Junkyard pretty well though for an eight year old.

He let his brother walk on ahead and took his sweet time through the dusk lit park. The black and white kit didn't mind, and his young spirited bravery is what got him noticed by Munkustrap, the Jellicle Protector. The silver tabby had decided that when the young tom reached twelve, he would start teaching him to become his second.

A park bench loomed in the distance and Alonzo thought he saw a small, black, shape under the stone structure. His curiosity got the best of him and with his eyes big and sparkling he quickly ran up to whatever it was he was looking at. He was grinning before, but when he saw what it really was he froze.

The bundle was a dirty blanket and in it. . .was a tiny black and red patched kit. He couldn't tell if it was a tom or queen or even if it was living. He was about to run away and tell his brother but just as he took one step back the little kit opened its toothless mouth and began crying!

He fell on his haunches and stared at the little thing. After a few more moments he scooped it up and carefully made his way back to the junkyard. Muggerstone was lazily sunning himself on the Great Tire and Alonzo knew he couldn't count on the older cat to help him. He knew his mother already had her paws full with three kits so he took it to his aunt Jenny and Uncle Skimble. He knocked on the door frame and was met by a ten year old calico queen, his cousin Rumpleteazer.

"Lonzy!" She shouted happily. She carried a Cockney accent due to her line of work. Work that her parents were strongly against but couldn't stop her from taking part in.

Alonzo tried to shush her but it was too late; his cousin's obnoxious squealing had woken up his newly found kit.

"Aunt Jenny! Uncle Skimble!" He cried out, his little nerves breaking as the kitten in his arms cried.

Skimble was the first and he patted Rumpleteazer's head before he saw what his nephew was holding. His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped as he quickly helped relieve the nervous tom kit of his load.

"Dear me! Jenny! Jennyanydots, come see what our own had in his wee litt'le arms!" He quickly rushed the crying kit to his mate.

She shared his reaction.

The Gumbie Cat wasted no time is checking the small kit over and discovered that it was a queen. A little red and black queen kit. Alonzo had stayed and watched to make sure that she got properly taken care of. He was very quiet as his aunt and uncle took care of their new ward. Finally, when Jenny assured the two toms that the little thing was perfectly alright, just hungry, she made a bottle, then put her down in hers and Skimble's nest until they had a smaller one made up.

She quietly walked out of her room and then turned to Alonzo, "I'm very proud of you nephew." She told him, "You did the right thing by bringing her here."

Her nephew nodded and asked one question in his little voice, "Whats her name Aunty Jenny?"

At that Jenny made a face and then looked at her mate. Skimble shrugged.

"What's whose name?" A voice as smooth as red wine asked.

It was Bombalurina, Jenny's niece. The scarlet queen would often drop by for surprise visits.

"Well, seems little Alonzo found someone in the park just now and he brought her to us." Skimble explained.

Bomba was terribly curious and quietly tiptoed into her aunt and uncle's room to look at the new comer. She made a baby face by puckering her lips and then smiled and brushed the little kit's head fur before silently leaving the room.

She turned to her relative, "What about Electra? I've always liked that name and saw it in some picture book Muggerstone had a few years back."

Her aunt and uncle looked at each other with pleasant surprise, they both loved the name. Skimble nodded, "Electra it is then."


	2. Chapter 2 Chance

**So far so good. I was really excited to start this story, I hope you all like it. . .Enjoy!**

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**Sixteen years later. . .**

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Anyone who knew Electra before Grizabella's Ball, knew her as a quiet, dark furred kit who didn't like the spotlight as much as her cousin Etcetera did. She didn't bother her parents, Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots, all that much. Her sister Rumpleteazer, however, drove them up the wall. After she took Mungojerrie as her mate things were calm in the den. Electra did as she was told and wasn't one who strayed from the path. Her content little world was turned upside down not long after her sixteenth birthday when she was walking to her human's home shortly after dark.

She wasn't in any particular hurry to get home and it wasn't even that far from the Junkyard, but the fog that usually gathered at this time of night was beginning to take on a creepy effect The fog cast eerie shadows on the buildings around her and she couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. Electra decided to cut through a small park she hated the fact that there was one fading lamp post to just barely light her way.

She rolled her eyes, "_C'mon Electra," _she told herself, "I_t's only fog, nothing can hurt you. Growltiger wouldn't be scared."_

Growltiger was a fearsome pirate cat, his legendary fight with Ghengis and his eventual death fascinated her. She always told herself to be brave like him. As Growltiger went through her head the sound of a cat fight suddenly broke out in the fog in front of her, she froze for a moment and then quickly took cover in a bush to the left of her, forgetting all about being brave like Growltiger. She closed her eyes and waited for the yowling and screeching to stop. The fighting continued for a couple minutes longer, her tail twitched nervously from side to side. There was a gurgling sound and then the sound of something being dropped in a gutter.

When it was silent she stepped out of the bush and decided to go back to the yard for a tom escort, but the sound of running pawsteps made her freeze again. She stood there, trying to figure out if the silhouette running towards her from the fog was real or not. When it was five feet away from her and still running it was at that moment that she decided it was, indeed, a real cat. Unfortunately the unknown cat didn't see her like she saw them.

Electra didn't have enough time to move out of the way as the shadowy cat collided into her and yelped as it awkwardly jumped over her and tumbled twice before it crouched in a defensive position. The next thing the tortoise shell kit realized, is that she was laying on her belly on the ground, looking up at the other who had smacked into her.

It, well _he_, was an old tom cat. Electra guessed he was around the same age as Asparagus. He had aged looking white tabby with grey stripes, his coat was dirty with soot and dirt, he had a pink scar along one of his shoulders, an emerald green bandanna was tied around his head and a belt with a cutlass hung at his side. His eyes were a very dark blue and he glared at her from his crouch with his claws flexed and ready to fight. Once her dark green eyes made contact with his he gasped.

"You. . ." The word was only a whisper but Electra heard it.

As he stood up and smiled Electra scurried back to the bush. He put his claws away and cocked his head to the side, when he spoke it was a heavy Irish brogue. "Dan't be afraid litt'le one. I mean ye no harm" When he saw that she wasn't one to trust easy he used a name she would know. "I swear on Old Deuteronomy's life that I wan't be harmin ye."

Electra didn't move, it made the old tom laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" she hissed at him.

"Because I can't believe how much ye've grown. Last time I saw ye, ye were blind. But look at ye." He put both of his paws on his hips, as if he were a proud father speaking about his daughter. "Green eyes that look just like his."

Thinking he was referring to Skimbleshanks she peeked out from her bush, "What do you mean? Were you once a Jellicle?"

"Oh no, not me. I be a pirate. . .well, normally." He crouched on his knees to be eye level with her, "My, you look so much like yer father." He seemed in awe of her.

Electra shook her head, "But everyone says I don't look anything like him at all. Just the eyes."

Something clicked in the grey tabby's mind and he nodded slowly. "So no one ever found out." He shook his head. "What ye didn't know is that ye actually have a strong legacy. What with yer pirate heritage and all. And ye do look like him, yer real father I mean." He looked her in the eye and her stomach dropped when she saw how serious he was being.

She shook her head. "Real father? The Railway Cat? Da's not a pirate, I aint daft. I know I don't look that much like him, more like me mum. She has the darkness that I have and you best remember it. And what's this pirate nonsense?" She came out from the bush and stood up to her full height, she crossed her arms and glared at him. Whoever he was and whatever game he was playing at, trying to confuse her about her parents, she didn't like it.

The tom chuckled and stood up as well, "Ye certainly share his haughty attitude. If ye had lived at the docks like a proper pirate kit, ye would 'ave made a fine Lady Pirate."

Electra winkled her nose and gave him a quizzical look. "What are you playing at?"

He didn't answer and asked a question of his own, "What is yer name kit?"

She eyes him warily, "Electra."

He nodded his head and gave her a crooked smile, "Good name. Of course if ye'd 'ave lived with yer real da you would have been named something just a tad bit fiercer."

She could only stare at him in confusion, not really knowing what to say to him. The words he spoke to her next left her completely lost.

"Growltiger's litt'le girl. If ye'd had a pirate up-bringing he would 'ave been prouder, even if ye were a queen kit." He laughed and half turned away from her, "I 'ave to be goin now litt'le one. Don't worry abou the way I came, it's safe now." He began to trot off into the thinning fog.

Electra shook her head and then noticed he was leaving, "Wait!" She called after him, "What's your name?"

Before the night completely swallowed him, he answered her by shouting over his shoulder, "Seward!" He vanished.

The queen kit stood there until his paw steps faded into the night. She slowly turned and made her way to her human's home, her pace quickened when she got closer. Once she was let it in and drank some water she hopped up into the lap of the older man who lived with her humans. That night she had a difficult time falling asleep since most of her time was spent thinking about what the tom, Seward, had told her. It was hard for her to think that anyone besides Skimbleshanks was her father. That tom had to be mad; there was no way she was Growltiger's kit. He was only a kitten story.

She resolved to ask her parents about it when she went back to the yard the next day and let herself drift into an uneasy sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 All this talk

**A shorty, I really don't like short chapters. Enjoy. . .**

She left her human home early the next morning and arrived at her family den in time for breakfast. She sat down quietly and waited patiently for her mother to serve her. As she watched Jenny she couldn't help but admit that her coat didn't look like either of her parents. Skimble smiled at her over his paper and then looked back at his reading. Electra decided that now was a better time than ever to talk.

"Am I adopted?" She asked quite suddenly.

Skimbleshanks was in the middle of eating and then stopped, Jenny's shoulders bunched and she slowly turned around to face her daughter. Skimble held a paw out to her and guided her to the seat next to his. They looked at each other and then at Electra.

She spoke again. "I've always known that my colors are off from your's. Why didn't I come out looking more like Rumpleteazer? She's always looked more like you than me. . ."

Skimble started to speak carefully, "Electra, lass. We-"

Jenny suddenly latched onto his arm and looked at him sadly, "Do we-"

"Dear, I know you don't want to, either do I. But we agreed we would tell her if she ever asked." He looked back at Electra, "We love you very much deary, and there is no difference from you being our born kit. We both agreed when Alonzo brought you to us, that we wouldn't tell you unless you found out on your own. When you were only a day or two old Alonzo found you wrapped in a dirty blanket under a park bench and brought you to us."

"We loved you from the moment we laid eyes on you dear and that has not, nor will it ever, change." Jenny quickly reassured her.

Electra stared at them with a blank face. Behind the blank look though, her mind was reeling. So Seward had been right after all. "That means Rumpleteazer isn't my real sister. I bet she knew too. I wasn't even born in the Junkyard." At that last phrase her voice fell. "Seward was right."

Jenny became alarmed, "Seward? Who's Seward?"

"Some old tom I ran into last night when I was going home to my human's house." She stared hard at her untouched food as she remembered what he told her, "He said he hadn't seen me since I was blind and then something about me having a pirate heritage." Jenny held on tightly to Skimble's paw. "He even thought that my real father is Growltiger." She shook her head and smiled nervously, "Growltiger's only a story right?"

"Of course dear," Jenny said hurriedly, "Now go play with your friends dear." She smiled but it barely reached her eyes.

"But he is just a story. . .right?" Electra asked again, her eyes full of curiosity and the need to know.

"Listen to your mother young lassie, and go play," Skimble told her sternly.

Electra nodded and left. Outside she found Pouncival, Jemima, Tumblebrutus and Etcetera. Her good friend Victoria was making her way to the Great Tyer. Skimble and Jenny watched her go.

"She can't be the Heir to the Terror of the Thames." Jenny told Skimble while watching the young kit outside, "She just can't be."

Skimble put his arm around her shoulders and held her close. "We'll go to Munkustrap and the other's and ask to form a group to go speak with Growltiger."

"But how can it be possible Skimble?" She asked him desperately and turned to looked at him.

He looked back at her, "Alonzo brought her to us with no knowledge of where she came from or who her birth parents are. It's very possible my love, very possible."

Both Jenny and Skimble fondly recalled the night that young Alonzo had brought them a tiny female kitten who hadn't even opened her eyes yet, her dark coat was mottled with orange and black. It was quite a surprise when she opened her eyes and they were the same shade, if not darker, as Skimbleshanks. The orange tabby mates had been thankful that she slightly resembled one of them in that aspect, it made their story to her believable. The only thing that they worried about was her questions about her dark coat and how it didn't look like either of her parents. But the day they had dreaded finally came and now the information from this mystery cat had put poor Jenny on edge.

Was this quiet, sixteen year old kit, the Heir to the Terror of the Thames?


	4. Chapter 4 I'm not going to wait

**This is more like the second part to chapter 3. Enjoy!**

Victoria sat on the tyre, sunning in the warm afternoon. She heard pawsteps but that was nothing new, it was probably Misto or one of her friends. She opened her eyes with a smile on her face and opened her mouth to say hello until she saw the cat that was actually approaching; her mother.

Griddlebone smiled widely, "Hello my dear!" She said.

Victoria's smiled vanished, "Oh." She said curtly, "It's you." She jumped down from the tyre and made her way around to the back of it; if her mother wanted to talk Victoria didn't want anyone to see her.

Griddlebone frowned and followed her. "Now is that any way to speak to the queen who gave birth to you?"

"You gave me up mother. You left me behind because you couldn't even be bothered to raise me." Victoria walked forward into an alley of trash heaps.

Griddlebone's smirked returned. "Well I did you a favor didn't I? You wouldn't have met that tom cat if you lived with me at Macavity's or on board Growltiger's ship. And then there is also what Macavity himself would have done to such a lovely kit like yourself so you should thank me."

Victoria spun around causing her to skid to a halt.

"Thank you? I should thank you? You gave me up as quickly as you possibly could. Did you even look at me in the twenty four hours that you had me? I grew up knowing that Jellyorum wasn't my mother because you made it known to everyone that I was your kit."

Griddlebone crossed her arms and waited for Victoria to finish.

"Did you ever love me at all? I went through my entire kittenhood wondering what true happiness was as I watched my friends grow up with mothers and fathers, and love. I loved Jellyorum like the mother you never were but sometimes it just wasn't enough compared to how much it hurt to know that you never loved me enough to be around, or-or leave Macavity and Growltiger, or raise me yourself! Not until Grizabella showed me what happiness really means. Touching her paw at the Ball last month changed everything for me and-"

Griddlebone cut her off, "You actually touched paws with that hag?!" She was repulsed by the very thought, "Not even we at Macavity's lair would ever have accepted that, that traitor. Do you even know what she did to your precious Jellicles? How much pain and suffering she caused them? Her own daughters?"

Victoria stood up to her mother, "I do. But she came back and that's what mattered to me. She learned her lesson in the outside world and in her heart I know she understood her mistake. And in that mistake she came to understand what happiness was. What it's like to be loved by family, by true friends. She showed me that. I learned that I didn't need you because there was no love." Griddlebone felt her face grow hot, "That all the love I needed was right here. I didn't need to reach out to those who didn't offer anything. And don't talk to me of what she did to her daughters, because what you did to yours was much, much worse. You never came back." She spat out the last four words and glared at Griddle.

When her mother had nothing to say she turned around and disappeared around a corner of trash. For the first time in her life Griddlebone felt rejected, which was something she had never felt before so she couldn't name the feeling inside of her. She left the junkyard just as quietly as she had come. As soon as she was out of view from her mother Victoria put her back to a wall of trash and slid down to the ground. She put her head in her paws and wept. Standing up to her mother was the hardest thing she ever had to do but she knew she had to do it. She didn't know how long she was there but a paw suddenly made her jumped and she looked up. It was Electra, the last cat Victoria ever expected to see.

The other queen sat down and looked at her teary eyed friend. "Rough day?" She asked.

Victoria nodded.

"Would you like to talk about it? Mum said talking about things always helps because it makes you feel like you're not so alone."

Victoria sniffed, "Not now at least."

Electra nodded. "Mind if I talk then?" Victoria shrugged. Electra went on then, "Well I just found out that I'm adopted." Victoria looked at her with wide open eyes, "Yes that was my reaction too. Last night I ran into an old tom who said he knew me as a newborn. He said I wasn't born a Jellicle but a pirate. Said my father was Growltiger, and we all thought he was just a story. Turns out he's so real that he's my father. They didn't say it but I'm pretty sure he never really died. That part_ was_ the story. I think he's alive somewhere." Electra tilted her head and looked at the ground. "I spoke to mum and da," she shook her head as she quickly corrected herself, "I mean Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks."

Victoria had always wondered why everyone told them Grolwtiger was a story when her own mother was his mate. Only the elders and the snowy queen herself knew the truth. Now it all made sense.

In her mind Electra felt that they were still her parents and it was strange to call them anything else, "They aren't sure if he is my real father and they're talking to Munkustrap and Deuteronomy about it. Plato said that Tugger told him that Alonzo heard that when Munkustrap was talking to Old D, he said he might go out looking for information, but you know what?" She looked left and right and behind her before she leaned in close to her friend. "I'm going to look for answers by myself."

Victoria shook her head, "What are you talking about? Leaving the junkyard?"

Electra nodded, "Absolutely. It's the only way I'll be sure to get the answers I want. Who knows what the older cats would tell me if they found out the truth. I don't want some story about how they couldn't find anything when actually they do know something and are just waiting until I'm older to know about it. I want to know now. Want to come with me?"

The snowy white queen looked at her friend. "Would anyone know where we've gone?"

The darker queen shook her head. "I'll be going either way. But if you don't go please don't tell anyone where I went. Unless, of course, you don't hear from me in a week or so." She stood up and walked passed her friend.

She had just approached the fence and was about to scale it when she heard a voice behind her.

"Wait! Electra!" She turned and saw her snowy white friend, "I'll go too."

Victoria smiled as she approached and they scaled the fence together. **  
**


End file.
